Mom Deserves Better

Editor

Whether it began with the ancient Greek tradition of mother worship epitomized by a celebration for Cybele, an important mother of Greek gods, or in ancient Rome with a holiday dedicated to Juno on which mothers were given gifts, it has taken on many forms since then.  From being a day to visit one's Mother Church in the 16^th century United Kingdom and Ireland to a day when mothers called for improved sanitation during and later an end to the Civil War in the United States.  And now with it's own International Mother's Day Shrine located in St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, it seems it's ties to being a day of man-made worship from the times of the pagans were never broken.  But with capitalism the form of worship has been altered into what has become a one-day, nearly eight billion dollar venture in the United States alone {1}.

Regardless of all this, it is a day that has been set aside to honor one's mother and show her appreication.  On this day, one is careful what one says and does to/for one's mother or the mother of one's children so as to make her happy and let her know you are grateful for all she has done.  But aren't these things we are supposed to do everyday?  When is it acceptable to be disrespectful or neglectful of one's mother or the mother of one's children?  Shouldn't this care and concern be a year round effort made by children and husbands toward their mothers or the mother's of their children, respectively?

Maybe that is the point though.  Maybe it is because the value of mothers has not been honored on a daily basis that such a day continues to be propagated.  The reality is that now more than ever having a job that earns money is given more importance than the irreplaceable efforts of a mother.  And unfortunately, now more than ever mothers are being disrespected and neglected, even physically and mentally abused by children and spouses.  So what can one day of kindness do in comparison to that?  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

If three hundred sixty-four days of the year, we are not honoring our mothers, there is something seriously wrong with the foundations of society.  Of course, drug abuse, crime rates, and teenage pregnancies will be on the rise if the core of the family unit, the mother, is neglected.  Is it not our familial and socital obligation to remember and establish honor for our mothers on a daily basis in our families?  As Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Asmah bint Abu Bakr regarding her mother, who was then a pagan during the times of the treaty of Hudaibiyah and had come to see her from Mecca and was in need of help,

Be good to your mother.

(Bukhari, Muslim)

In addition Allah tells us in the Qur'an 46:15,

We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour, which Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam.

Certainly, we owe a duty to our mothers as Allah has commanded us, but to choose a single day to celebrate them, a day the foundations of which are likely based in paganism, is most inappropriate.  Furthermore, shouldn't we avoid such a day that adds insult to injury for the orphans and women of the world who can not bear children.  Let us rather choose the pure and beneficial way of  Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and honor our mothers and the mothers of our children on a daily basis for the sake of Allah.  As we have no guarantee that we or they will live to see another day, let us treasure the blessing we have in them today and everyday.

{1} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother`s_Day